The above video, produced by Amtrak, goes into the thinking behind this effort. Randy Simes at Urban Cincy expounds on the strategy today:

On the heels of kicking off their new Writers Residency program, where writers can ride intercity passenger rail for free, Amtrak welcomed 30 prominent new media “influencers” on a long-distance train ride from Los Angeles to SXSW in Austin. The new initiatives are part of a larger effort by Amtrak to connect with a demographic they believe is already open-minded and passionate about intercity train travel.

[Amtrak’s Government Affairs Specialist for the Midwest Region] says that the 30 participants had somewhere around 2.5 million followers on social media, and that the group logged their journey by using the #AmtrakLive hashtag.

The major takeaway for many of the participants, however, was the relaxing nature of the ride, and scenic beauty of the trip.

“I think train travel is a bit of a lost art. It was a very amazing thing to do years ago, and it’s still a very amazing thing to do now,” said Matthew Knell, VP of Social and Community Outreach at About.com. “What Amtrak is trying to do with the new generation; with high-speed rail and new technologies and solutions is great.”

Amtrak is currently in the process of upgrading intercity passenger rail service in the Midwest between St. Louis and Chicago and Detroit and Chicago. Segments of those routes are now operating at 110 miles per hour, with additional upgrades underway to bring the entire length of those routes up to higher speeds.

If only this type of media strategy worked with Congress. Maybe the idea is that in the long term, it will.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Counting Pantographs runs the numbers on Jeff Speck’s claim that moving to a walkable place saves more energy in one week than changing to energy efficient lightbulbs does in a year. Cap’n Transit explains the relative benefits and drawbacks of streetcars and light rail. And Reno Rambler remarks on a nascent urban real estate trend: catering to people who bike.

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Transportation for America

America's transportation system is half a century behind--causing unnecessary pollution, expense, and congestion. We need our leaders to invest in public transportation, high-speed passenger rail, streets safe for biking and walking, maintaining our roads and transit systems, and green innovation.